Russia on the brink as fresh casualty figures expose true level of carnage in Ukraine
Throughout the campaign, Russian commanders have shown scant regard for the lives of their soldiers, throwing them into the meat grinder with little compunction.
Russia's losses in Ukraine could be hundreds of thousands more than originally estimated by Western intelligence, a new analysis has revealed.
Putin's army has suffered horrifying casualties since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over two years ago.
Throughout the campaign, Russian commanders have shown scant regard for the lives of their soldiers, throwing them into the meat grinder with little compunction.
Ukraine says that Russian troops often launch waves of frontal attacks on heavily defended positions, seemingly in defiance of any sound military logic.
According to The General Staff of Ukraine's Army, Russia has lost around 552,000 soldiers - either killed or injured.
These figures, however, could be seriously underestimating the scale of the slaughter on the frontlines.
A new analysis of data by the Economist magazine suggests that the Russian army may have lost as many as 728,000 soldiers.
This is based on recent research carried out by two independent Russian media outlets - Mediazona and Medusa.
On Friday, they published an updated report, suggesting that between 106,000-140,000 Russian soldiers had been killed by June 21st.
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Their data, however, does not include Ukrainians recruited by Russia from the occupied territories, nor those who have been severely wounded and are unable to return to battle.
The Economist wrote: "Our rough calculations, based on leaked documents from America’s defence department, suggest that probably around three to four Russian soldiers are wounded for every one killed in battle.
"That would mean that between 462,000 and 728,000 Russian soldiers were out of action by mid-June - more than Russia’s estimated invading force in February 2022."
French and British officials estimate that around 500,000 Russians had been severely injured or killed by May.
The figures are unprecedented in recent Russian military history. In Afghanistan, Soviet forces lost 15,000 soldiers over a decade and 35,000 wounded.
Despite the horrific slaughter on the frontlines, Putin has been able to keep the flow of recruits flowing to his military.
Ilya Ponomarev, a prominent Russian dissident, told the Express that the Kremlin was offering huge financial incentives to attract impoverished Russian men to join the army.